5 minutes ago
Art & Culture
WEESP – Nora Schenk, former columnist of WeesperNieuws, won a publishing contract with De Verhalenfabriek at the end of 2023 for her feel-good novella Heart Autumn. This book was well received, so the publisher asked Nora if she could turn it into a series. The Heart of Summer, part 2 in the Seasons of Love series, appears today as an e-book.
The Heart of Summer, like the Heart of Autumn, takes place in and around a small bookshop. “The bookstore is called Lectori Salutem,” says Nora. “I was of course inspired by the antique store Lectori Salutem, which used to be in Slijkstraat. But Weespers might recognize Pezzi Pazzi in the Lectori Salutem bookstore in the middle of summer, because that was the setting I had in mind while writing.”
In the middle of summer
In Heart of Summer, the story of bookstore owner Lizzy continues, as the blurb of the book tells us. Lizzy’s life is running smoothly: her bookstore Lectori Salutem is booming and she is very happy with her boyfriend Bram. But when her mother Annabella unexpectedly visits the Netherlands, Lizzy becomes concerned. Why isn’t her father with us? What are her parents hiding? And if that wasn’t enough, her best friend Ikram ends up in an unpleasant situation, which means that her leading role in the musical of De Zingende Zomer is no longer certain. Mamma mia, what a summer!
Nora smiles proudly. “The Heart of Summer is a feel-good novella, so that means a lot of love, a little humor and a lot of summer fever. It is a fictional story, but of course I have included aspects from my own life in the book. And with some of the characters I may have been inspired by people I know…” She laughs out loud. “So a disclaimer: do you recognize yourself in a character in my book? I deny everything.”
Nice in the garden
The Heart of Summer is a novella. “That’s a short book,” Nora explains. “So you read it in an afternoon. And now that the weather is finally nice, you can do this in a sunny park, on the beach or simply at home in the backyard. Of course with a refreshing drink nearby.” She laughs.
Seasons of love
The Heart of Autumn was already here, now the Heart of Summer is appearing. Can we still expect winter and spring? Nora nods enthusiastically. “The intention is for Hartje Winter to be published in the winter of 2024. I am writing that book now. And then there will be Heart of Spring, which will hopefully be published in the spring of 2025. Because a lot is still going to happen with Lizzy, Bram, Ikram and all the other characters! And I’m really getting the writing vibes now, so I hope to write many more books in the future.”
Would you like to read Nora Schenk’s summer feel-good story? The Heart of Summer can be purchased online from today (it is only published as an e-book).
